Know Your MOT
24.2%fail rate

General Motors Cadillac common MOT failures and failure rate

What a General Motors Cadillac fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 10,994 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 24.2% of MOT tests recorded on the General Motors Cadillac in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is suspension, which makes up 30.3% of the General Motors Cadillac's failures, followed by suspension, brakes, lamps & electrical, tyres. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Suspension30.3% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Brakes27.4% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Lamps & electrical26.4% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Tyres19.0% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Visibility/wipers12.2% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Other10.9% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

199821.8% fail · 119 tests
199920.9% fail · 215 tests
200126.3% fail · 209 tests
200525.0% fail · 580 tests
200624.8% fail · 3,280 tests
200725.2% fail · 3,445 tests
200823.1% fail · 1,170 tests
200922.9% fail · 919 tests
201020.0% fail · 424 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the suspension failure: General Motors Cadillac suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for General Motors Cadillac suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind General Motors Cadillac suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: General Motors Cadillac brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for General Motors Cadillac brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind General Motors Cadillac brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: General Motors Cadillac headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for General Motors Cadillac headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind General Motors Cadillac headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: General Motors Cadillac tyresSearch Amazon for General Motors Cadillac tyresaffiliate searchFind General Motors Cadillac tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: General Motors Cadillac wiper bladesSearch Amazon for General Motors Cadillac wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind General Motors Cadillac wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

General Motors Chevrolet MOT failures20.9% failure rateGeneral Motors Pontiac MOT failures21.6% failure rateGeneral Motors Corvette MOT failures17.1% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain